All-Region baseball: Cody Hawken

Jacob Allbee, Sr., Union

Hunter Bruno, Jr., Camas

Trevor -Huddleston, Sr., Woodland

Preston Jones, Jr., Mountain View

Mitch Lines, So., Hockinson

Thomas Martin, Sr., King’s Way

Blake -McKinney, Sr., Columbia River-

Jace McKinney, Sr., Columbia River

Avery Schmidt, Jr., Skyview

Mike Spellacy, So., Battle Ground

Brady Whalen, Jr., Union

Cody Hawken said he rarely checks Twitter when he wakes up in the morning.

But on May 28, he decided to give it a quick glance. He saw a notification from USA Today Sports.

Cody Hawken woke up that day to learn he was named the Gatorade state baseball player of the year.

Almost two weeks later, he was taking a nap when he was got a text from Union baseball coach Ben McGrew.

Congratulations.

For what?

Hawken had just been drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 34th round of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft.

“Five minutes later I got a call from the (Chicago) scout,” Hawken said.

Some of us dream while we sleep. Cody Hawken’s dream year continues every time he wakes up.

Hawken, who will graduate Tuesday from Union High School, is The Columbian’s All-Region baseball player of the year. In 22 games for the Titans, the outfielder drove in 31 runs and had 18 extra-base hits, including eight home runs. He broke his own school record with 34 hits and those RBIs, plus he set new team records for home runs and average (.466).

Saturday, Hawken was named a Louisville Slugger High School All-American.

Now Hawken has a big decision to make. He has signed with the University of Portland, and he will be receiving an offer from the Cubs.

“I just want to keep playing baseball,” Hawken said, knowing very well that he will be playing baseball, whether at college or for a minor league team within the Cubs farm system.

He has told the Cubs what it will take for him to forgo college.

And if the Cubs match that number?

“I’m gone!” he said without hesitation.

It has been a wild last 15 months for Hawken. He was excellent for the Titans last spring, but by his own admission, he struggled in the summer.

“I went to a couple of showcases and I didn’t perform at all,” Hawken said. “That was fuel to my fire to never let that happen again.”

All fall, all winter, he was working on his game, trying to find his swing.

Hawken went on a tear once the high school season started in the spring. At one point, he hit home runs in four consecutive games, then blasted a shot that just missed being a homer in the fifth game — playing in the deepest park in the 4A Greater St. Helens League.

The future looks bright for a lot of former Union baseball players.

The immediate future is up in the air for Cody Hawken, but he loves his options.

Still, before making a decision, he should probably sleep on it.

Really cool things happen to him when he wakes up.